The Magazine of the Alleyn's Junior School Association

DOWN’SSOUTHPersonal, Health, and Social Education,and CitizenshipThe children are given Personal, Socialand Health education throughout theschool. In reception, the form teacher takesthe children through various topics thatcover elements of PHSE. As they progressthrough the school, the subject is expandedto include citizenship and is integrated intovarious lessons, including science, dramaand religious studies. Year 5, for example, aregiven education on the dangers of alcohol anddrugs as part of their science syllabus. Foryears 1, 2, 4 and 6 at present PHSE lessons aretimetabled in their own right.Year 6 children are givenspecial talks on pubertyand sex education in theTrinity Term in a mixedgroup by Mrs Perks. usingthe Channel 4 Living andGrowing course and aseries of DVDs called LivingThe age at which incipient eating disordersbegin has lowered. Children can be veryaware of body image and style and comparewith each other at really very young ages. Wework a lot on this in assemblies and try toinstil the idea that they are all appreciated forwho they are, what they do, how they behave,their strength of character, their own talentsrather than for what they look like.”Mrs Perks is currently organising workshopsfor Years 5 and 6 to be run by an organisationcalled B-eat. To be held next term on October7th, they will cover eating disorders, selfesteemand body image. Later that day theteam from B-eat has been invited by the AJSAto give an evening presentation for parentswho are interested.CharityGoing LocalThe Alleyn’s Junior School charity for thisyear is Down’s South, a new local charitysupporting children with Down’s Syndromeand their families. Parents and children fromthe organisation visited school earlier thisyear to talk to pupils about how the moneythey raise would be used.Although the charity only became formallyregistered last year, the organisation behindit has been established for some time. It beganas a small voluntary group in 1998, and hasnow grown to support around 35 children,bringing together over 150 families acrossSouth London during the past ten years.The original voluntary group was set upto help develop the children’s social andcommunication skills. Local parents ofchildren with Down’s Syndrome identifiedtwo gaps in provision for their families: therewas no local network for sharing information,These sessions continue, and are now led byspecialist therapists. By 2001 the therapygroups and workshops had expanded toinclude not only parents and carers, but theeducational support assistants and otherprofessionals who work with the children intheir mainstream schools and nurseries.The group holds a resource bank of readingand education materials which are invaluableto new parents. The therapy sessions haveforged a supportive group which meetsthroughout the year to exchange information,as well as holding family social events.With its charity status now secured, the grouphas embarked on extensive fundraising. Itis hoping to broaden the range of therapiesoffered in certain areas where there is ashortage of provision within the NHS. In2005 for example, the group launched a clinicin oromotor therapy — that is specialisedexercises for the mouth muscles to improvespeech and sound production.All therapy sessions are free for families andand Growing.and there was a lack of speech and languageare paid for entirely through fundraising.PastoralCAREMrs Childs highlightsawareness of body image asone of the pressures that hasincreased in her experience.“What we find more difficult todeal with are the types of rolemodels children have today.therapy available via the NHS.Parents from the group led sessions in speechand language therapy at a Southwark childhealth centre to help not just the children,but also the other parents, who gainedskills and knowledge from the workshops.The focus remains very much local – this isa resource for families right on our doorstepwhere the money our children raise can makea real difference in their own community.24 1425